Breaking Atoms

Main Source was technically a trio, but Breaking Atoms mostly belongs to Large Professor, who not only produced the bulk of it, but also brought a Queensbridge teen named Nasty Nas (along with newcomers Akinyele and Joe Fatal) to appear on "Live at the Barbeque," one of the fiercest posse cuts ever. Fast raps that span from witty metaphors on police brutality ("Just A Friendly Game of Baseball") to jokes about bad luck ("Snake Eyes"), a lil somethin' for the Main Source's two DJs ("Scratch & Kut"), and sample-heavy beats like "Just Hangin' Out" reflect a golden period in New York hip-hop.